Holdwise DGA Index 2026: what a Dutch director keeps per euro of profit

What the index measures

The Holdwise DGA Index is the part of one euro of profit that the owner keeps privately. That euro is taxed in two steps. The BV pays corporate income tax, and the owner pays box 2 tax (personal tax on substantial shareholdings) when the BV distributes the profit. The index is what is left after both steps, in cents per euro earned.

The index is based only on the tax rates set by law. It is the same for every DGA, and anyone can recalculate it.

The 2026 calculation

The BV first pays 19% corporate tax on profit up to €200,000. That leaves 81 cents. When the BV distributes them, the owner pays 24.5% box 2 tax on the first €68,843 of dividend per person. In the top brackets, with 25.8% corporate tax and 31% box 2 tax, the index is 51.2. Fiscal partners can split the dividend and so double the first box 2 bracket to €137,686.

The third number is the most important

Box 2 tax applies only when the company distributes profit, and the DGA chooses that moment. On profit that stays in the company, only corporate tax is due. The company keeps 81.0 cents per euro. It can use this money for investments, real estate, a new participation or a loan to the DGA. The difference of 19.8 cents is the cost of distributing. The DGA decides when to distribute, and so also when this cost is paid.

A DGA may take a lower salary if comparable work pays less, or for up to three years while a new BV still has too little money to pay the customary salary. The DGA can then pay private costs with a loan from their own company, up to €500,000. The lower salary is what saves tax: at €36,000 compared with €58,000, about €7,100 a year. The loan itself is tax-neutral. You can read more in lowering your DGA salary.

The trend since 2023

The jump in 2024 followed the introduction of the two-bracket system in box 2. Since then, a DGA pays less tax by keeping yearly distributions within the first bracket. The index has been 61.2 every year since 2024. Under the 2027 Tax Plan it stays at 61.2 in 2027. The first box 2 bracket would then go up to €69,703 per person (still a proposal). The rates are fixed, so the result depends on the choices of the DGA.

You can download the press version (PDF, in Dutch) with the full method.

Rates as of 1 January 2026 · Last verified: 29 September 2026 · Source: Dutch Tax Administration · The index is republished each year after Budget Day with the rates for the year ahead.